Okanagan Water Stewardship Council convenes for action
Convening for Action in the Okanagan
In recognition of World Water Day 2013 and Canada Water Week, the Ministry of Environment presented the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council with the first-ever Excellence in Water Stewardship Award for British Columbia. The Council acts in an advisory role to the Okanagan Basin Water Board. In 2008, the Council released the Okanagan Sustainable Water Strategy.
“The most fundamental contribution of the Water Stewardship Council to water resources management in the Okanagan is that it provides a consistent forum for effective, transparent, and reliable communication among the many levels of stakeholder regarding recent developments and urgent water issues,” states Dr. Bernie Bauer, Council Chair.
“The Watershed Stewardship Council is, if not unique, then certainly unusual in its structural position within the web of jurisdictional authorities spanning federal, provincial, municipal and First Nations governments because it enjoys no legislative power or formal status, yet retains an air of moral authority and practical wisdom due to the wide spectrum of institutions and expert voices it engages.”
“It is a consultative body that continually strives to improve the future of water resources management in the Okanagan and in the province of BC by working in tandem with decision makers and elected representatives who are charged to protect and advance the common good.”
Vision of the Stewardship Council
“The Vision of the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council is that the Okanagan Basin will have clean and healthy water in sufficient abundance to support the Okanagan’s natural ecosystems, agricultural lands and high quality of life for perpetuity,” continues Bernie Bauer.
“Accurate, up-to-date water information and scientific knowledge will support community and regional planning. Water will be managed in a spirit of cooperation, and a valley-wide ethic of conservation will create a lasting legacy of sustainable water resources for future generations.”
To Learn More:
To download a copy of the news release by the Ministry of Environment, click on Okanagan Water Stewardship Council wins award.
To download a copy of the strategy document developed by the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council, click on Okanagan Sustainable Water Strategy: Action Plan 1.0